There are friends that you have where conversation is so easy, fluid, and casual yet carries an importance of epic proportions. You don’t need to check in every day, you also don’t need to have a deeply philosophical conversation each time you speak either. That is the way this book feels. As I started, I actually didn’t think I would enjoy it but instead became engrossed in the dichotomous complexity of each of the characters. As much as Aysel is billed as the main character, I would argue that Roman becomes a central figure with as much punch as Aysel and his relationship with his mother and his level of hurt is more sentimental while Aysel’s is more complicated because of her disinterest in life AND death.

The story picks up as Aysel visits a suicide website and decides to find another person interested in creating a suicide pact. FrozenRobot immediately catches her attention and lives close by. Even from their first meeting, a connection is born and through the pages, both characters reveal their reasons for wanting to commit suicide with troubled pasts that deal more with family than themselves .

As their relationship becomes intertwined and they have off and on conversations about how they’ll commit suicide (since Roman already had a date, the anniversary of the death), their feelings mutually grow. And Warga does a phenomenal job of warming this brewing romance rather than turning it on hot from the start. It’s subtlety is endearing. And why it’s the most fascinating non-romantic romance story and worth the read.